our beautiful escape
by ilvidis
Summary: An angel and a mage attempt to survive in a world overran by Shades. For Mikaela Vermillion Hyakuya's "This world has died, hasn't it?" contest. Rated T, but contains very strong language and gore.
1. 1

"Everyone else is dead, Pittoo. We have to keep moving." The tactician at my side urgently tugging on my arm as he motions towards the next corridor in the damned Mansion.

Shaking him off, I unfurl my wings and stretch them. I'll need them for fighting. "Please, listen to me. They'll be here soon, and we can't exactly fight them off. The others-" he breaks off, his voice choking at the thought of our fallen friends.

"Don't care." I mutter darkly. Robin frowns, "It's suicide, if you get your revenge but still die..."

 _Stubborn mage...Why can't he just let me handle this myself?!_

Gasping, I stagger backwards once memories hit with a flash. They plague me, probably some sort of PTSD bullshit that happens when you see the mangled corpses of your dead brother and mom.

* * *

"What? How did these get here?" The other three and I had stumbled upon a mess of once pure white feathers stained brown and red, their original colors just barely showing. Aside from the feathers, wooden splinters and shards of a pink gem, as well as two cracked halves of a bow, nearly identical to mine, lay near the feathers. Piles of cold ash surrounded the disarray of familiar remnants.

"The cold ash indicates that Shades have arrived and were slain long ago." Reflet analytically notes. "The feathers and remains of weaponry also-" Zelda cuts her off by gasping and running behind a pile of fallen stone to vomit. With obvious discomfort, Robin ran over to hold back her hair as she gagged, looking slightly green himself.

I bite my lower lip as I realize the feathers and blood leave a trail. "C'mon," I grumble, angrily grabbing Reflet's arm and motioning for her to follow. She flinches in surprise before mumbling a quiet, "Alright."

With each hasty step I take, panic begins to overtake more and more of my thoughts, leaving me instinctive in every movement.

 _Gotta keep following the trail, shit, they're gonna be okay…fuck, they're probably...no. no it's fine. everything. is. fine. we're gonna find them okay and-_

"Fuck!" I scream.

The two of us stumble upon none other than their corpses. Nausea and panic start to overload my senses, leaving me helpless. I fall to my knees at the sight of their two mangled bodies. My brother lies face-down and surrounded by a pool of red-gold ichor, his wings a broken tangle. A huge hole lies in his chest, his heart obviously torn out by those monsters, those sons of bitches.

Nearby, my mother, laden in her golden jewelry and displaying no radiance lies. Her green hair stained a disgusting copper mess, probably due to the disgusting series of gashes that cover her body. I look away, not wanting to see anything else. For all the shit I give my family, I just don't want to spoil the memories I have of them. Sweet, bitter memories.

"I kill them all for this," I angrily whisper.

* * *

I groan in pain as I return to the present, staring up at the ceiling of the room we had holed up in. Robin pulls me to my feet and argues, "See? You can hardly stand. How are we supposed to stay alive if you're falling down every moment and I can't fight alone?"

I shake him off roughly. "We'll manage."

He stumbles backwards, unsteady on his feet. "We can't. We have to leave the Mansion soon, or we're dead."

Grabbing my arm, he tries to forcefully drag me away until I collapse again.

* * *

Reflet manages to pull me away, and we return to a comparatively blissful scene. Zelda stands, leaning against the wall, occasionally spitting to get rid of the taste of bile. Robin stands in the center of the hallway, clearly keeping watch for us and for the Shades.

He greets us with a simple wave, a light green tome under his arm and bronze sword at his side before being tackled to the ground by two black and gray blurs. Reflet screamed in shock before we ran over. Drawing a Levin Sword, she snarled, "Don't touch my brother," before brutally plunging the electrified blade into both thick leathery wings of one Shade. Hissing, it seemed before disintegrating into a smoking pile of ash, one that could easily burn on contact. Zelda then dashed forwards, magic igniting her hands as she pushed aside the other shade with inhuman force. Standing back, I drew my bow and managed to shoot off a wing, pain shooting up my left arm as it cried in agony. Robin then fired off a wild crescent of green wind magic, pushed back from the force as he grunted in pain in conjunction with the Shade's screaming.

Weakly, the four of us stumbled together, breathing heavily. "Sorry…" whispered Robin.

Out of no where, a trio of shades drop down gracefully, clad in seemingly royal garb. "We thank you for disposing those...tactless brutes." One says with a smile, before adjusting a silver circlet resting atop her greasy red-pink hair. "After all, they may have taken a fine meal from us." A red gem set in the metal gleams, catching my eye.

Distracted by the alluring shine, Reflet wobbles on her feet in unnatural confusion. Zelda and her brother both grab her arms to steady her. "However, ah...we do inhabit a dog-eat-dog world here." Muses another, wearing an identical crown in its dull blue hair. "We'll give you a painless end." It tries to add gently.

The third flapped its wings with intimidation once, indicating it was clearly ready to chase us if we fled at a moment's notice. Haughtily, it flipped its long, golden hair before threatening, "You'd best listen to him, or you'll answer to my magic."

At my left, Zelda blinks before swallowing down what little remains in her system. She turns and smiles before pushing us away. Throwing up a huge crystal, the blonde shrieks and throws huge flames at it, enraged.

"I have nothing to live for." She intones warmly. "Go forth and live."

"I can't leave her behind..." Whispers Reflet. She draws her Levin Sword and a yellow tome, and steps forwards. In response, the two idle Shades draw twin blades as the third continued to assault the barrier with fire.

Robin and I stand frozen, unsure of what to do.

"Get out!" Screams Zelda. "It won't-" the blue crystal shatters before she could say anything else, and almost immediately she was consumed in flame and light. Reflet turned and yelled, "You have to go, Robin! At least one of us has to live!"

Bathed in flames, we watched in horror as she closed her eyes, waiting with bated breath until a clawed hand thrust itself through her chest and pushed out her heart triumphantly.

"Go..." She whispered, dropping the singed remnants of the tome and a cracked sword.

We turned and ran as the trio behind us began to eat, leaving her body to fall down lifelessly and burn.

* * *

Robin slaps my face, bringing me back to the present. Roughly pushing him off again, I stand up and grab my bow. "We'll kill the three, and leave this hellhole." I tell him, determination burning in my voice.

He nods quietly and rearranges his weaponry, preparing to leave.


	2. 2

We step out of the room into a hallway. I signal for Pittoo to follow. He tightens his grip on his bow, and with a steely look in his eye, he obliges.

Unsurprisingly, the two crowned Shades slide out with a greasy smoothness from the shadows.

"It's lovely to see you again." Greets the bluenette. He smiles with an unreadable expression.

The redhead merely tosses a length of hair behind her shoulder and rests a hand on her hip. With a haughty "Hmph," she simply gazes down on us with empty black eyes.

Two swords hang from their hips, one gleams at the tip while the other seems to just barely glow blue in the center.

 _They're clearly ready for a fight. This won't be as easy as slicing off the wings of whatever other shades we fight, not like that's easy anyways._

"If you would so...kindly, come with us, we'd appreciate it. I much rather prefer a fight in the open." The bluenette adds casually, as if speaking to guests inside a manor, one that isn't completely overran by hostile and unnatural creatures.

They pivot on their heel-unusual, as most Shades seem to prefer to fly-and walk down the corridor. We follow in silence. Almost immediately, the female begins to argue.

"What do you mean, a 'fair fight'? Darling, it would never be fair." Hisses the female.

"Dear Lucie, nothing is fair in this world. I think giving them a hint of a chance would be more fun."

"Ugh, I'm not in the mood for fun. I'm in the mood for...well, hearts."

He turns and kisses the top of her head. "Patience."

Turning, we arrive at a huge room. Light shines in from the glass dome ceiling, some wind blowing in through holes in it. Debris litters the ground, while cracked and fallen pillars lie on the undamaged marble flooring.

"The atrium. Huh. Never thought I'd see it again, or in this shitty state." Mumbles Pittoo.

The pair stand across us, their blades drawn and held loosely, still wearing their odd smile or imperious smirk.

"They wanted a place to fly around in." I observe. "Perhaps you could shoot them down."

Without warning, they charge simultaneously. I yelp as I dive to the right, Pitto rolling to the right. The redhead turns to me, holding her blaze in a fencer's stance. Behind him, the bluenette mirrors her movements.

I push myself to my feet and swallow nervously. Drawing Arcfire and my Bronze Sword, I sway gently on my feet to try and stay loose.

"After you." She haughtily taunts.

Casting Arcfire, I immediately jump back as the swordsman merely runs through the flames. It's all I can do to just parry his attacks. Slowly, she drives me backwards against the wall. In a fleetingly brief moment, my sword is knocked out of my hand.

 _Naga, please save me now._ I inwardly pray.

The Shade slowly walks forward. Death approaches, with a sword in hand and a welcoming smile on her greedy face. Reflet whispers for me to live in my ear.

 _I'm sorry...I wish I could keep going on for you._

An ear-splitting scream from across the room. We both whip our heads towards the sound. Pittoo is covered in scrapes and cuts and still stands above his beaten opponent. He continues to howl in agony as the dark angel slowly cuts through the tough leather of his wings with the two halves of the silver bow.

"Just...fucking die already!" He yells with the last hack. The severed wings fall to the ground and disintegrate upon contact. The body begins to glow in a strange fashion, seemingly drawing in all the light around him.

"No, NO!" Yells the redhead in panic. Death leaves me, and runs to her companion. Pittoo backs away and leans against the pillar, obviously exhausted. "No! Marcy!" He laughs tonelessly, a simple sound. Before a minute passes, she's holding onto ash and a dull iron circlet.

Turning, her eyes transform into icy chips of pure rage and unadulterated desire for revenge.

"You'll pay for this!" She roars. Pittoo rolls away again, but it's a crude motion. I pull myself to my feet in an instant and run over to try and keep her off of him.

Suddenly dropping her sword, she begins to wail, a terrible sound, one that was practically an injection of fear. Slowly, her shadow lengthens and her wings stretch out. She floats in the air for a tremendously long time until an explosion bursts from within her, drawing within all the light, similar to the other Shade's death glow.

When the burst ended, a large, humanoid demon stood in her place. A huge gaping heart-shaped hole is on display in the center of the chest, and long tentacle-like hair hangs limply from its head. The only identifiable feature of the former Shade was the reddish pinkish aura it emitted. Disgusting, huge, black wings burst forth from its back. The sky turns red.

"Fuck." Whispered the feathered male as he dragged himself up. The demon gazed down at us and immediately swiped a huge arm. Pittoo grabbed me by the arm and pulled us up into the air, his dark wings slicing the air in heavy strokes.

He flies out of a hole in the dome and drops me on the roof. Breathing heavily, he spat on the ground. "You go enjoy the rest of the world." He tells me gruffly. It takes me a moment to process.

"What? No, don't do it-" I plead.

He cuts me off. "Doesn't matter. Piss off. I'm already done for. And no point in keeping a corpse alive."

I watch helplessly as he hands me a feather, "For remembering," and falls back down into the dome. He conjures his staff and looks up at me before looking back at the demon.

"You're coming with me to hell." He fires a purple beam a devastating attack that completely obliterates the monster and shatters his own staff. He falls backwards, glaring up at me. "Go away."

I turn and carefully place the feather within a tome and climb down from the roof. As I walk away wearily from the mansion, I refuse to look back.

* * *

 **Hoooooooly crap, it's done.**

 **This was fun to write. Thanks to my friends for encouraging me not to give up after three rewrites, and also nervous_testpilot for his song "My beautiful escape", from the Frozen Synapse OST. The inspiration for this third iteration came to me while listening to it. Hopefully that should explain the title. And of course, thank you to Mikaela Vermillion Hyakuya for hosting the contest, it's been nice to write something outside of the norm for me.**

 **This is LK, signing off.**


End file.
